Category Archives: Student Stories

Have you ever considered pursuing a job opportunity in a different country? A local to Minnesota, Nils Justen took a huge leap – approximately 4,346 miles across the Atlantic Ocean – and completed a co-op in Ingolstadt, Germany at Audi’s headquarters.

Working at headquarters broadened the learning experience for Nils through the chance to interact with all operations of the company – engineering, design and testing, marketing, and upper management were all in the same place.

“I gained insight into many exciting areas of the company. My role definitely wasn’t just copies and coffee,” Nils explained, “I was in chassis engineering. My position revolved around working with different departments to compile function-based test procedures for prototype vehicles in order to ensure a more uniform and transparent development process between various divisions. I was also involved in project planning for future models.”

The decision to work abroad was a daunting thought for Nils, but the benefits far outweighed the risk and greatly impacted his trajectory and goals. Not knowing what to expect when he arrived in Germany, Nils flew out of Minnesota with two suits in his bag and more ties than he’d like to admit.

“There’s a few aspects of living in Germany that I’m not sure I will ever get used to: the lack of free refills, paying to use a public restroom, and the confused looks I got when I assumed water at a restaurant was free. I was surprised at how quickly I transitioned to my new surroundings and found my place in the company and my community in Ingolstadt. Of course, I was also pleasantly surprised at how few people wore a suit and tie. The six months I spent in Ingolstadt made me realize that the idea of pursuing graduate studies in Europe wasn’t so far fetched.”

Nils encourages all students to pursue internships and co-ops. They are a risk-free way to explore a field you think you might be passionate about. The more experience you have, the better you’re able to find a job that you’ll look forward to every day. Also encouraging students to go out of their comfort zones and pursue international opportunities, Nils explains, “There are more opportunities like this out there than people think. Sure, you might not be able to live at home and you’ll be away from friends and family, but it’ll certainly challenge you to broaden your perspective. There’s something to be said for taking that leap of faith. There’s tremendous potential for growth in those experiences.”

Picture this: you apply for a job and get called in for an interview. A few days later, you receive a call saying, “We’re sorry, but you’re just not the right fit for our company.” What’s next? Do you get upset and discouraged, give up, and decide that you don’t want to change anything? Or do you thank them for their time, learn from your mistakes, and try again?

Haley Hall is a engineering management and marketing student in the School of Business and Economics. In a family of entrepreneurs, Haley chose two degrees that would allow her to own a business someday. Engineering management offers flexibility and a multitude of career options and marketing allows her to utilize her creativity and gain skills on building and maintaining a brand.

After interviewing for a digital marketing internship in Career Services with Jennifer Wall, Career Services Communications Manager, Haley was not selected for the position. However, that connection led her to an entirely different opportunity.

Haley’s passion and enthusiasm left a good impression with Jennifer, and when Jennifer attended Grand Traverse Day in October, she spoke to Katie Horvath, CEO of Naveego, who was looking for a digital marketing intern to work remotely. Jennifer recommended Haley for the position. Haley received a phone interview with the vice president of sales and marketing and was offered the job shortly after.

“The funny this is,” Haley said, “I never even spoke directly to Katie. Jennifer’s recommendation must have been very good! Making connections with people at Michigan Tech can be very beneficial in obtaining job opportunities. If I never applied for the job with Career Services, I would not know Jennifer, she would not have recommended me to Katie, and I definitely would not have a job at Naveego right now.”

After completing her internship with Naveego, Haley will explore her other major: engineering management. Haley has been offered an internship with Permasteelisa as an assistant project manager and will work there during summer 2019.

When Alex decided to double major, she committed herself to twice the workload of her peers, and she increased the amount of time it would take to graduate. But why?

For Alex, it also increased her career options.

Many MEEM students at Michigan Tech go into the automotive, manufacturing or medical device industry, but Alex is blazing her own trail. She is using internship and co-op experience to explore both fields and to create a unique future, all her own.

Her first two summer internships were at Lighthouse Productions in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 2016 and 2017, where she put her Theatre & Entertainment Technology major to the test. She spent those summers working on productions and controlling light boards.

After completing her last internship at Lighthouse Productions and returning to campus, Alex attended Career Fair and landed an engineering co-op at Packaging Corporation of America in Valdosta, Georgia.

“Who knows,” Alex said, “Maybe next summer I will combine the two and work for an entertainment company like TAIT Towers doing engineering work.”

On the surface, mechanical engineering and theater might seem like polar opposites, but there are certainly professions where the pairing makes sense, and Alex is excited about the possibilities.

“The sound and theatre departments [at Michigan Tech] do a lot to help students grow and form connections in the professional world,” Samantha Palumbo, senior in sound design.

Taking advantage of her sound design major with a focus in productions, Samantha has worked on eight (and counting!) productions in the past three years at Michigan Tech. She says, “One of the great things about Tech’s undergraduate program is the Visual and Performing Arts Department allows students to work hands-on from the beginning… That’s why I love going to school here. You can have a wide range of jobs on different productions.” Samantha has worked a variety of positions – from hanging lights to being in charge of painting sets. After taking the Scenic Art and Illustration class, Samantha was the Scenic Charge Artist for Picasso at the Lapin Agile.
After building her skills at Michigan Tech, Samantha had her first internship at Ohio Light Opera (OLO) as an Assistant Sound Designer. Samantha heard about the position from her professor, Chris Plummer and peer, Charles Southward, who have both worked there in the past. The position was a great opportunity for Samantha to grow, as it’s typically given to more experienced designers. During her time at OLO, she was Sound Engineer and Playback Operator on three out of seven productions. On another three productions, she was Lead Sound Designer. “Working at OLO gave me professional design experiences outside of Michigan Tech, even before I took the official production design class.”

All Michigan Tech students have one thing in common: Tenacity. They know how to work hard and be successful. Among them is Henry Sendek, an Audio Production and Technology student. Adding on to his full class schedule and on-campus events, Henry’s major requires him to attend four conferences throughout his time at Michigan Tech: two as an attendee and two as a presenter. These conferences are incredible networking and learning opportunities. They are the job fairs of Visual and Performing Arts departments around the country.

Henry has attended two conferences so far: the Audio Engineering Society’s Student Summit as an attendee and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) as a presenter. Henry will also be presenting at the United States Institute for Technical Theater (USITT) later this semester and attending the Audio Engineering Society’s 145th Convention next fall. Initially, Henry wasn’t very excited to have to attend four conferences, but after experiencing them, Henry wishes he could attend them all many times. He says, “Attending an engineering focused college in Upper Michigan isn’t a great place to find sound designers, broadway productions, and large touring musical acts. That’s why we take part in these different conferences. It gives us the opportunity to see the work of industry professionals and other students and allows us to showcase our work to them. This is our chance to show off who we are.”

Although Henry has had great experiences off-campus, he says that one of the greatest experiences he’s received was through Michigan Tech: the Experience Tech Fee. He can hop in his car and head to Mont Ripley for a free day of skiing and then walk into the Rozsa or McArdle theater that night to watch a show. Henry says, “I have been able to attend almost every show in either the Rozsa or McArdle since starting at Michigan Tech. The Experience Tech Fee has allowed me to do that at a fraction of the cost.”

Henry is returning to his internship this summer, but can’t give details due to a Non-Disclosure agreement. However, he was hired because of a small group of alumni that currently work for the company. They knew how much knowledge MTU graduates have. They took a chance on Henry and were so impressed with his work that they re-hired him for another summer.

Matthew Rudy is off to ITC Holdings after graduation to pursue a full-time position!

Matthew had an internship in the planning department for ITC this past summer. He was the first intern the economic planning group ever hired, and Matthew’s skills and motivation exceeded his supervisor’s expectations. At the end of his internship, Matthew was offered a full-time position starting after graduation.Matthew’s advice to other students is to network, network, network! He advises students to, “Go out and meet with as many recruiters as you can. Start networking companies early. They will remember you throughout your time at Michigan Tech.”

“Go to industry days, go to Career Fair, go to as many events as possible. By going to these events, you will meet recruiters that will know you by name.”

“Network with company reps as much as possible.Having that personal connection with someone… is very helpful on the job hunt.” -Allison Dorn, Mechanical Engineering Student at Michigan Tech.

Allison already had an internship lined up for Summer 2017, but she still wanted to attend the Spring 2017 Career Fair. She went with no expectations and received a co-op offer for Spring 2018- one year away.

Allison knows it’s important to stay relevant, so she attends career events like industry days, employer info sessions, resume blitz, mock interviews, and the Career Fair cookout. Her goal is to brush up on her interview skills and distribute her resume.

Allison became interested in Kimberly-Clark when they hosted an event with the Society of Women Engineers.

At Career Fair, she noticed there were no students lined up at Kimberly-Clark. She went to talk to them on a whim. Knowing she had her internship coming up, she wasn’t looking for anything but a conversation. After a great conversation with a KC rep, they wanted to interview her for a Spring 2018 co-op. Allison scheduled her interview for the following day and received an offer two days after Career Fair.

Allison advises other students to “network before career fair, during different company info sessions and at Career Services’ events- so that when you get to career fair you already have established relationships.”

Allison also advises students to always be prepared. She says, “The two weeks before career fair, you should have resumes on you at all times! You never know when you will have a chance to give it to a company rep!”

Sooraj Rehan is a mechanical engineer heading to Cummins, Inc. to pursue a full-time position.

Sooraj created a clear career path for himself to find success. Sooraj focused on the kind of career he wanted and the companies he was interested in working for. He chose relevant classes and coursework, worked hard to get good grades, and completed an internship. Sooraj applied for hundreds of jobs before landing an offer from Cummins, Inc.

Part of Sooraj’s personal career journey was to take advantage of CareerFEST resources at Michigan Tech. Sooraj attended employer meet and greets, a mock interview, and an advising appointment.

Sooraj’s advice to other students is, “Have a clear goal and do not be distracted by anything else. Hard work is life.”

Rylee Price is heading to Greenheck for a Production Supervisor co-op this spring. She went to Career Fair with one goal: to prove that her mathematics and psychology majors are useful to recruiting companies.

Rylee scheduled an interview with Greenheck and attended their Co-op Day. She interviewed with five different recruiters who were looking to hire co-ops. Riley used Co-op Day to network, show off her skill set, and ask questions about available positions.

Rylee’s advice for other students is to be yourself! She says, “Be confident in who you are and your capabilities. Be willing to learn, accept challenges, and make mistakes. Don’t fear rejection, and be ready to put yourself out there. The greatest advice I could give is to know how to market yourself!”

Sachin Fernandes, a Michigan Tech Alumni ’17 with a degree in Computer Engineering, working at Cloudflare.

It was a LinkedIn post and following his gut that inspired Sachin to look at available jobs at Cloudflare, a company with services he’d used, good principles he recognized and cutting edge technology. He looked into different positions to better understand the type of technology talent they were looking for, and he decided to “give it a shot.”

After doing his research, Sachin emailed an engineering manager at Cloudflare named Tony. Tony had a similar technology profile and seemed excited to connect with Sachin.

Sachin shared his relevant engineering experience with Tony and inquired about an available internship at Cloudflare. Sachin was disappointed and discouraged when he found out that someone else was hired for the internship. However, Kirsti, a Career Services Advisor at Michigan Tech, helped Sachin keep his spirits up and encouraged him not to give up.

Sachin sent monthly emails to Tony about his current projects and reached out to other employees at the company. He says, “Never be scared to email or text someone, it always pays off.” Sachin was later recommended for an internship by Tony and other connections he’d made at Cloudflare.

Over the course of a few weeks, Sachin had multiple phone interviews and was invited to their San Francisco office to interview. To prepare for his interviews, Sachin reviewed Cloudflare’s open source projects to understand the company’s process of writing and building software.

Sachin interviewed at Cloudflare on October 31, 2016, and felt an immediate connection with the company. He was amazed by the facility and knew that he wanted to work there. After returning to Michigan Tech, Cloudflare had Sachin complete a final interview with a senior engineer. The interview was a two-way conversation that made Sachin feel comfortable and allowed him to ask questions and solve problems provided by the interviewer.

A few days later, Sachin accepted an internship offer that turned into a full-time position. Sachin’s tip for students is to always send a thank you note to everyone who interviews them and helps them during the process.